NEIL LENNON is pleased that Celtic duo Scott Brown and Charlie Mulgrew have been key to Scotland's resurgence under Gordon Strachan.

The Scots' chances of reaching the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil next summer were effectively over when the Northern Irishman's former boss at Parkhead took over the national team in January following Craig Levein's departure.

However, the doomed campaign finished on a high with a 2-0 win over Croatia at Hampden Park on Tuesday night, with skipper Brown driving the midfield and Mulgrew setting up Robert Snodgrass for the opening goal with a brilliant cross.

And with three wins in their final four Group A fixtures to leave them in fourth place, Scotland jumped up 28 places to 35th in the FIFA rankings.

Lennon said: "It was an excellent performance, excellent result and a great way to finish the campaign and they (Scotland) should be very optimistic going forward.

"I haven't see Gordon looking as happy as that, in footballing terms, in a long, long time.

"You can see what it means to him as well.

"Charlie has been great. Talking about a multi-functional player, there is none better than Charlie.

"He can play centre-half, left-back, centre-midfield, wide left; he is a very intelligent player, technically brilliant and he has matured into this very good all-round footballer.

"So I am really pleased with him and obviously Scott captaining the team as well, he has consistency in his game at the minute.

"I thought Scott was the best midfielder on the park in Milan (in the Champions League) so those two are in a very good place.

"When you think Scotland were without the two Fletchers, (Darren and Steven) Shaun Maloney and James Forrest; there is a lot of quality still to come in, allied to what they showed on Tuesday night.

"So there are shoots of recovery there which are very promising."

International football was the dominant theme of Lennon's media conference at Lennoxtown ahead of Saturday's trip to Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership.

The former Celtic skipper believes that Fraser Forster should at last see some action with England now that Roy Hodgson's side have qualified for Brazil.

The Hoops keeper has worked his way into the English squad but has yet to win a cap, which Lennon is hoping is put right in forthcoming warm-up games.

"Yes, I am hoping that is going to be the case, "he said.

"He has been very patient.

"What he needs to do is keep his focus on his club football, keep his level of performance and consistency high and it will be very difficult for Roy not to pick him."

However, the international break also brought some bad news for Lennon, who was in Paris in midweek to see France versus Finland and check up on potential Finnish signings to join striker Teemu Pukki at Parkhead.

Right-back Mikael Lustig's hip injury has left the Hoops manager with a "huge" headache ahead of next week's Champions League clash with Ajax at Celtic Park.

Adam Matthews is out for three months with a shoulder injury which poses a defensive problem for Lennon, who said: "We have two very good right backs who may not be fit (for Ajax).

"We know Adam is going to be out for three months.

"Mikael's hip-locked against Austria. He is a doubt for the weekend but we are very hopeful he will be fit for Ajax on Tuesday.

"But we have to nurse Mikael, he does have hip and groin problems and we do have to manage him during the week.

"But he is a serious doubt for the weekend so we will have to rethink things regarding Hibs.

"It will be (a gamble) against Ajax if Mikael does make it (for Hibs) and it might not be a gamble worth taking, obviously.

"Efe Ambrose had played international football at right back so he is a possibility, we have Darnell Fisher or I might change the formation.